Title Help

[Stonemojo]

I read a short story LOOOOONG time ago that I'm trying to find again. I was TOLD it was written by Ursula Le Guin but I can't seem to find it anywhere. The premise is this: A fantasy story about the power of TRUE names. A small village with a fat little wizard who lives in a barrow that smells of liver and onions and preaches to the village females the importance of chastity. A younger wizards challenges said fat wizard to a duel and they do so a la a shape shifting contest until the fat wizard assumes the shape of a dragon. The younger wizard reverts to his true form and calls out the TRUE name of the fat wizard, demanding that he return to his natural form. At that point the fat wizard in the shape of a dragon informs the young wizard that he IS in his true form (dragon) and subsequently eats him, the end. Not much to the story really but it was rather savvy the whole true name thing. ANY help would be appreciated.


thanks in advance


Stonemojo

 

[Carlos]

is this it

The Other Wind
Ursula K. Le Guin
Excerpt 1
Sparrowhawk asks his visitor, Alder, about himself.

The best harps in Earthsea are made on Taon, and there are schools of music there, and many famous singers of the Lays and Deeds were born or learned their art there. Elini, however, is just a market town in the hills, with no music about it, Alder said; and his mother was a poor woman, though not, as he put it, hungry poor. She had a birthmark, a red stain from the right eyebrow and ear clear down over her shoulder. Many women and men with such a blemish or difference about them become witches or sorcerers perforce, "marked for it," people say. Blackberry learned spells and could do the most ordinary kind of witchery; she had no real gift for it, but she had a way about her .................................

Maybe (2001 I think) not but it is about true names so it might point you in a direction to look

 

[defiant_whisper]

what you are describing sounds a lot like Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books... they have the true name element you're describing... but i've never read that scenario... at least i don't think i have... it's been a long time since i read those... i should pull them off the shelf and read them again

 

[Themistocles]

Apart from the true names element, that doesn't sound much like Earthsea really - however I have only read the original trilogy so it could be from the latter books.

 

[Stonemojo]

I have read the Earthsea trilogy... and there is alot about true names in them but the story I'm referring to is a short story possibly even a novellette. I am inclined to believe it is Ursula's work because of the true name thing. My brother is an english professor who specializes in fantasy works and he swears its Ursula but again, no name to the story. I'd pull my hair out if I had any.



~The Neon Monk

 

[Ashlea]

According to her official website, she has several short story collections. She also has contributed stories to the "Legends" collections.

 

[Stonemojo]

SUCCESS!!! the short story in question is called The Rule of Names, a short story published in an anthology titled "The Wind's Twelve Quarters" by Ursula Le Guin.

Thanks all who helped out